


Rain

by IsraelKami



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Ashe Needs A Hug, Character Study, During Timeskip (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, Gen, Hubert is a gremlin, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Spoilers for Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), YES BETA WE LIVE UNLIKE GLENN, half these characters are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22740202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsraelKami/pseuds/IsraelKami
Summary: Just how did Ashe end up working for the Adrestian Empire in the first place?//Spoilers for Post-Timeskip: Verdant Wind Route//
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert & My Unit | Byleth
Kudos: 23





	Rain

**Author's Note:**

> For FE:3H Song Week
> 
> Rain, by Patty Griffin off of her 1000 Kisses album
> 
> Thanks to the Sylvix discord server for inspiring me to write again <3
> 
> I had some words for Ashe after recruiting him in Verdant Wind.

Ashe knew that the battle for Garreg Mach had ended when he saw the reinforcements from the Imperial army charge forward. There was no mistaking the Empire’s victory when he saw the Immaculate One fall under swarms of demonic beasts. He heard the gut-wrenching scream of his professor and watched in horror as the man fell to his death.

Ashe was no fool, his time at the monastery had taught him what battles were unwinnable and he decided to make his retreat before the bulk of the Imperial army could reach Garreg Mach proper. He felt the tears pricking at his eyes as he rode his wyvern north, away from the burning monastery.

Ashe shook his head to rid himself of the memories that plagued his mind of that day. One year had passed and as promised, the Empire had begun its war on the Church of Seiros, plunging all Fódlan into chaos. Ashe had returned to Gaspard territory to rule over in Lonato’s place, but quickly realized that he was in way over his head. Pressure from the Empire from the south and House Rowe to the north put Ashe in a precarious political position.

Standing up from his chair in Lord Lonato – no, his study – Ashe stared at the massive pile of paperwork sitting on the oak desk in front of him.

“Master Duran, your siblings have been looking for you.” One of the few servants that Lonato had employed opened the door to the office.

“Thank you, Gilmore. I was just about to take a break and seek them out myself.” Ashe nodded at Gilmore, who held open the heavy study door as he walked through.

Lord Lonato’s castle was of modest size and it did not take Ashe long to find his siblings. “Ah, Hugo, Reese, there you are!” The two barreled into Ashe’s open arms and he squeezed them tightly.

“Ashe, we think that you’re working too hard!” Reese, the smaller of the two, took a small step back and looked Ashe in the eyes.

“Yeah! We never get to see you anymore, and Gilmore said that you weren’t sleeping well at night.” Hugo frowned and crossed his arms.

“I’m sorry guys,” Ashe shot a glare at an unashamed Gilmore standing nearby, “but you know that I have to take care of Gaspard territory until things settle down in Fódlan.” He ruffled the dark brown hair of both kids, letting out a small chuckle.

“Don’t touch my hair!” Hugo rolled his eyes.

“Keep touching my hair, please. I don’t want to brush it!”

“However, I am taking a break from work, so tell me what you two want to do and you’ll have my full attention for a while.” Ashe rubbed his hands together and grinned at his siblings.

“Oh! Let’s play Knights and Demonic Beasts!” Reese spoke first.

“No, let’s play Fox and Geese!” Hugo shook his head.

“What about Knucklebones?”

“Shovelboard!”

“Horseshoes!”

“Gameball!”

“That’s enough out of both of you!” Ashe aggressively ran a hand through his hair. “If you can’t both agree on a game, then we’ll play one game that Reese wants to play and one game that Hugo wants to play, understood?”

“Okay,” Reese crinkled her nose, “Hugo can pick first. I don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Reese. What game would you like to play, Hugo?”

“I really want to play Fox and Geese, but I want Reese on my team!”

“Was that so hard? Now, go get the bag that has the gameboard and the pieces.” Ashe smiled at the two and opened the door to the study. “I’ll meet you in here once you’ve got it.”

The two dashed off into the castle in a race for the bag, their cheers echoing off the stone walls. Ashe smiled fondly at the two retreating bodies before entering the study, letting the door close behind him.

“You’ll have to forgive me, Lord Duran,” a silky smooth voice greeted Ashe as he entered the study, “But I could not find one of your servants so I let myself in.” Sitting in the only other chair in the study was the right hand man of the Emperor, Lord Hubert von Vestra.

“Lord Vestra? Wha-How-Why are you here of all places?” Ashe sputtered at the sight of the dark haired man.

“Lady Edelgard sent me with a proposition.” Hubert rose from the chair and strode over, “I hope that you will entertain it over a cup of tea.” The implied threat made it clear that Ashe did not have a choice in the matter.

“Gilmore!” He called for the servant that stood outside of the study door.

“Yes, Master Duran?”

“Please fetch some tea for myself and Lord Vestra,” Ashe ordered.

“I would prefer coffee, if you have it but a cinnamon blend is acceptable.”

“Of course, a cinnamon blend for Lord Vestra and myself.”

“I will bring them up at once.” Gilmore let the door shut and Ashe breathed a quiet sigh.

“Please sit, Lord Vestra. I apologize for the mess. I was not expecting any visitors today.” Ashe began to clear off the desk for the upcoming teatime.

“It is quite alright. I understand that I arrived unexpectedly.” Hubert nodded amicably and sat down in the chair in front of the desk as Ashe finished cleaning up.

“Ashe! Ashe! Ashe! We found Fox and Geese!” Ashe’s heart stopped at the sound of his siblings’ voices growing closer to the door. “We’re coming in!”

“Reese, Hugo, wait!”

The two opened the door to the study only to stop and stare at the other person in the room.

“Who’s that?” The question slipped out of Reese’s voice before Ashe could stop it.

“Ah… Reese, Hugo, this is Lord Hubert von Vestra, the Minister of the Imperial Household of the Adrestian Empire. I went to the Officers Academy with him.” Ashe swallowed nervously as he tread upon dangerous ground. “Lord Vestra, these are my siblings, Reese and Hugo Duran. They have lived here with me since Lord Lonato adopted me.”

Hugo’s eyes widened dramatically and bowed deeply. “It is an honor to meet you, Lord Vestra.” His sister followed suit and the two remained bowed for a moment before straightening.

“You two ought to go to your rooms. I will be entertaining Lord Vestra for the afternoon. I’m very sorry that we cannot play Fox and Geese right now, but I will make it up to you another time, okay?” Ashe put on his best confident face and quickly ushered the two out of the room.

“Are they your siblings by birth?” Hubert questioned.

“Yes. They are all that is left of my family.” Ashe nodded and sat down as Gilmore entered the room with a plain tea set decorated with gold trimmings and small pink flowers. “Thank you, Gilmore. I shall call you once we are finished with our meeting.” Gilmore nodded and bowed before exiting the room.

“Now, Lord Vestra, may I offer you some tea?” Ashe was thankful that the professor had been so insistent that he learn the proper methods of preparing and serving tea during his time at the monastery. He stirred the pot gently, letting the leaves soak in the near-boiling water.

“Thank you, Lord Duran. I am grateful for your hospitality in these troubling times.” Hubert’s voice was deathly quiet as he handed Ashe a cup.

“I would do the same for any distinguished person such as yourself who stopped by Gaspard territory.” Ashe lifted the teapot and tried to steady himself as he poured into the cup, stopping when the cup was three-fourths full. He quickly poured himself a cup before sitting upright in the chair behind the desk. “Now, Lord Vestra, how may I help you?”

“As I mentioned before your siblings joined us, Lady Edelgard sent me with a proposition to give you.” Hubert took a small sip of his tea. “I don’t ordinarily drink tea, but in this case, I will gladly make an exception.”

“I am glad that this is acceptable to you.” Ashe took a long sip, feeling the burn of the too-hot tea on his throat. “I have a feeling that I know what Lady Edelgard has sent you to do.” The sinking feeling in his stomach grew stronger as Hubert looked at him with an appraising eye.

“Tell me, Lord Duran,” Hubert placed the teacup on the desk. “Are you aware that House Rowe to the north of here has surrendered to the might of the Empire?”

“I am,” Ashe grit his teeth as he took another sip of the cinnamon tea. “I received a letter from Sir Gwendal the Gray Knight, a few days ago regarding their surrender.”

“How interesting. I cannot imagine the pressure that must be on you, as the sole heir of Gaspard territory, being surrounded by Empire territory…”

_You can take that interesting and shove it up your-_

“Yes, I certainly feel the pressure at times.” Ashe allowed his hand to rest on the desk and forced a grin. “However, I assure you, Lord Lonato left me well prepared for running Gaspard territory even in times such as this.”

“Is that so? Even in the midst of his daring rebellion against the Central Church of Seiros?” Hubert’s eyes rose as he took another sip. “It truly is a shame that he foolishly rushed into the conflict. Had he simply waited a few more months… Then he would have had the full force of the Adrestian Empire on his side.”

“Lord Vestra, you clearly came for a purpose.” Ashe barely prevented himself from slamming his fist onto the desk, still jostling the inkwell that sat on top. “As much as I have enjoyed our conversation thus far, the anticipation is killing me.”

“My apologies, Lord Duran.” Hubert’s face held no apologies whatsoever. “But you are correct, I did come here with a purpose for Lady Edelgard.” He leaned forward across the desk, meeting Ashe’s gaze. “She wishes for you to follow in House Rowe’s footsteps and surrender to the Empire.”

“Absolutely not.” The words left Ashe’s mouth before he could stop them.

“My, so determined, aren’t we?” Hubert let out a soft, deeply disturbing chuckle that sent chills up Ashe’s spine. “You didn’t even let me lay out the terms of the proposition.” He reached into one of the pockets of his pitch black robe and pulled out a scroll stamped with the Imperial seal. “Please, do read Lady Edelgard’s proposition before you come to any hasty decisions.”

Ashe opened the scroll and began to read what were essentially terms of surrender. He skimmed past the overly formal and flowery language that started every letter that he had received from the Empire and began searching for the exact terms of surrender.

“We, the undersigned members of House Gaspard belonging to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, having been this day surrendered by Lord Ashe Duran, Head of House Gaspard and its territories, to Lady Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, do hereby declare our loyalty to the Adrestian Empire, renouncing our ties to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and commit to the unity of Fódlan under the banner of the Adrestian Empire.” Ashe set the letter down momentarily, eyes wide at the implications of the letter.

“Lord Vestra, if I should accept the terms of this proposition, are you informing me that the soldiers of House Gaspard would be utilized to fight against the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the Leicester Alliance?”

“That is correct. Please, do keep reading.” Hubert’s face was expressionless as Ashe picked the paper up again.

“In order to ensure the compliance of House Gaspard, Lord Ashe Duran will serve as a General in the Adrestian Army and a retainer hand-picked by the Minister of the Imperial Household will rule over House Gaspard in Lord Duran’s place.”

“You see, in return for your cooperation, I will personally select one of the Adrestian Empire’s best retainers to govern over Gaspard territory whilst you are at war with the Kingdom and the Alliance.” Hubert gave Ashe a half-smile. “Consider this a mutually beneficial agreement. The Empire gains a talented general and a boost in numbers, and you no longer have to worry about the fate of Gaspard territory.”

Ashe narrowed his eyes at the incredibly calm man sitting across the desk from him. “And if I should refuse the terms of this proposition?” He picked up his teacup again and let the heat flow through his body.

“You will find that there is one more condition to this proposition at the bottom of the page,” Hubert pointed at the scroll. “I believe that you will find it most informative.”

“In addition, two political prisoners will be taken from Gaspard territory and held within the Imperial capital of Enbarr. Said prisoners shall be treated as visiting nobility within the capital.” Ashe stood quickly and stabbed a finger towards Hubert. “Lord Vestra, you wouldn’t dare!”

“Oh, but Lord Duran, I already have.” Hubert sneered. “Gilmore, please bring in the children.”

The doors to the study opened and Gilmore entered, pushing Reese and Hugo in front of him. The pair’s eyes were glazed over and it was clear to Ashe that they were only standing up because of Gilmore’s support.

“What did you do to them?!” This time, Ashe let his fist slam on the table, causing the inkwell to almost fall off the table. “Answer me, Hubert! What did you do to my siblings?!”

“My, my, my…” Hubert turned towards Reese and Hugo and gestured towards himself. Almost on cue, the two began walking mechanically towards him, stopping just before they reached the desk. “Do calm down, Lord Duran. They are simply under the effects of a light poison that allows me to dictate their every movement.”

“Simply? How dare you, Lord Vestra. This is unacceptable. I demand that you release them at once!”

“I’m afraid that is simply impossible at this moment in time, unless you are willing to wait several days.” Hubert stood to his full height, allowing him to tower over the relatively short Ashe. “The poison will work its way out of their system in approximately three days. However, by that time, dear Reese and Hugo will be on their way to Enbarr for their extended stay in the Capital.”

“Damn you… I won’t let you get away with this. I’ll never forget this. Never!” Ashe bared his teeth and gripped the edge of the desk tightly.

“Oh, I do not care if you despise me for the rest of our lives.” Hubert gently patted Reese and Hugo’s hair, ruffling their hair gently. “I only care if you will agree to Lady Edelgard’s proposition…” He lifted his hands and let dark magic flow through them, intensifying the shadows in the room. “Or if you choose to give up the only members of your family.”

Ashe willed himself not to move, even as Hubert’s hands became surrounded in his characteristic dark magic.

“Stop! Don’t hurt them! I’ll sign the proposal. I’ll do whatever it is you need, just please, don’t hurt them!” Ashe began to tremble as Hubert’s hands cleared up quickly.

“I knew you would see things my way, Lord Duran.” Hubert let out a wicked chuckle as he returned to his forgotten cup of tea. “Now, please, sign the proposition. I have a busy schedule today and do not wish to dally anymore than I must.”

Ashe tightened his grip on the quill in his hand as he dipped it into the inkwell. “Know that I do this not for you, but for my siblings. Their safety is of utmost importance to me, and if I hear that even a hair on their head is harmed, I will come after you with every skill in my arsenal and I will not stop until I have personally ended you.”

Ashe’s wet signature taunted him from the dry scroll sitting on the desk as Hubert picked it up. “I suspect this will be the beginning of a time of growth for Gaspard territory. I wish you the best of luck on your first assignment, Lord Duran.”

Ashe stared at Hubert with a stony gaze as the Imperial Spymaster guided his siblings out the door, no more lifelike than the puppets that the village occasionally had in stock.

“Oh, and Lord Duran?”

“Yes, Lord Vestra?”

“Perfect teatime.”

Ashe woke from his slumber with a start. He ran his fingers through his - much longer - hair and sighed heavily as he remembered the dream that he had again. ‘Remembering that never gets any easier.’ Four years had passed since House Gaspard had allied with the Adrestian Empire and the eastern portion of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus had collapsed with it.

Before too long, the feeling of intense heat came rushing back over him and he groaned as he remembered where his latest assignment took him. Hubert’s spies had reported that the combined forces of the Leicester Alliance and the Knights of Seiros were expecting to meet reinforcements in the desolate Valley of Ailel, bordering Galatea and Daphnel territories.

Hubert’s spies had mentioned that Judith of House Daphnel would be meeting the leader of the Leicester Alliance, Claude von Riegan, and the recently returned professor. The enemy forces weren’t expecting any opposing forces, and thus, the Ambush at Ailel was born.

The combined forces of Houses Rowe and Gaspard had been sent to ambush the opposing forces, much to Ashe’s dismay. As he stepped out of his tent, he let his eyes adjust to the harsh, dry colors of the landscape surrounding him and a sigh escaped his lips.

“Having second thoughts?”

Startled, Ashe spun around, only to be greeted by the imposing figure of the Gray Knight of House Rowe, Gwendal. “Oh, Sir Gwendal! I’m sorry, you caught me unaware. I was simply remembering the details of our assignment.”

“Ashe, we are both generals in this fight. There’s no need to call me sir.” Gwendal clasped his shoulder tightly. “Secondly, there is no shame in having second thoughts. I didn’t live this long without running away from a few battles in my time.”

Ashe wriggled uncomfortably under the older man’s strong grip and nodded. “Understood. If things go south, I think the Empire would much rather have us alive than dead here.” The thought of the Empire left a bad taste in his mouth, especially at the thought of his siblings, living in Enbarr under the pretense of esteemed guests.

“Hah! Oh, you never fail to make me laugh!” Gwendal grinned at Ashe. “I’m talking about you. This is my final stand, but you have so much life yet to live.” Gwendal seemed to age twenty years in front of Ashe.

“What do you mean by that? You’re Gwendal, the Gray Knight! You’ve made it this far; you may as well keep going.”

“I appreciate the sentiment kid, but this is the end of the line for me. There is no greater joy than battle for me and I’ve always intended to go out in a blaze of glory.” Gwendal stared over Ashe’s head and at the horizon. “It will be even better if I get to fight that professor of yours. I’ve heard many a tale of his exploits and skill in battle.”

“The professor will be out on the battlefield today, that’s for sure. I almost hope that I don’t see him.” Ashe flinched at the thought of facing the professor in battle. “He’ll be disappointed that I can’t join him, but I can’t let my siblings down.”

“Ah, that’s right. The Empire’s got your little brother and sister.” Gwendal smiled sympathetically.

“That’s right. I haven’t seen them in a while either. I really hope that they’re doing alright in Enbarr.” He threw his hands up and spun out of frustration. “Maybe I should just do the same as you, Sir Gwendal. It would be easier, and then maybe Hubert and Edelgard would let my siblings go.”

“That is certainly an option that you have, but would you want to leave your siblings like that?” Gwendal questioned.

“No, but I can’t help but think it would be easier all the same. They’ve been through enough, so maybe this would let them get the rest and peace that they deserve.” Ashe put his face in his hands as Gwendal stiffened.

“Go get your soldiers ready.” He pointed out across the horizon. “The opposing forces have arrived. This is our time!” Gwendal began shouting orders left and right as he ran towards his warhorse.

“Is it time?” Ashe looked at the mass of soldiers waiting for him to give the order to ready themselves. “I suppose it is. Professor, I will see you soon.”

Ashe flew above the chaotic battlefield, rising quickly into the air on his wyvern, speeding towards the frontlines of House Gaspard troops. Below him, he could hear the ferocious battle cries of Gwendal and his troops. The sudden surprise of their troops had seemingly caught the combined forces of the Leicester Alliance and the Knights of Seiros by surprise, as only a few opposing battalions had reached the battlefield and engaged in combat.

Ashe had one goal in mind and he was intensely focused on it. He needed to get to the professor by any means necessary. He had already assigned his own battalion of Wyvern Riders to aid Gwendal in his fight to the death, and thus was far more maneuverable. He flitted across the battlefield, precariously balanced on his wyvern as he loosed shot after shot into the quickly growing opposing army.

By the time that he had reached the front lines of his own army, enemy archers were already targeting him to ground him. Ashe felt several arrows fly past his ear as he pulled his wyvern into a steep dive, pulling up at the last second to scatter a group of fortress knights that prevented an assassin battalion from sneaking into enemy lines and dealing devastating wounds at quick speeds.

As he continued to spin and fly past the arrows flying around him, Ashe finally caught a glimpse of red and white in the distance, the telltale sign of the Sword of the Creator that the professor wielded.

Steering his wyvern towards the southeast, Ashe steeled himself for the inevitable pain that he would be experiencing. Removing his axe from its sheath, Ashe dove again, this time forcing his wyvern to spin as he swung to disrupt a group of enemy mages preparing to unleash resonant thunder upon a battalion of his own grapplers.

The path to the professor was almost too clear for his comfort. He could see Ingrid on her pegasus directing a battalion of pegasi away from his chosen path, and sweet, sweet Mercedes instructing her mages to bestow a blessing upon a group of soldiers instead of the devastating Bolganone spell they had been preparing to cast on him. He even spotted Claude in the distance taunting a stubbornly blushing Lorenz away from the professor.

Ashe landed his wyvern on the ground near the professor as the Sword of the Creator lashed out and decimated the armor of another Fortress Knight. The pile of bodies that surrounded the professor was immense, and Ashe could only watch in awe as the Sword of the Creator seemed to come to life to kill an assassin that had snuck up on the professor.

“Professor!” Ashe called out as he stumbled off his wyvern in his haste to get to him.

“Ashe? Is that you?!” The professor’s eyes widened at the sight of his former student. “What are you doing, fighting for the Empire?” He readied the Sword of the Creator, a Bolganone spell ready in his other hand.

“Don’t look at me that way. You’ll throw off my aim!” Ashe gasped as the reality of the situation hit him. He raised his bow hesitantly and the Sword of the Creator chose that moment to strike.

The spine-like blade disconnected into its whip state and lunged at Ashe as he released an arrow at the professor. Ashe dropped to the ground as the blade lashed out where his head had been moments earlier. Slinging his bow over his back, he grabbed the axe that hung at his side and charged at the professor, who had easily dodged the arrow and was readying himself for a counterattack.

“I don’t want to fight you, professor, but this is how it has to be!” Ashe swung his axe towards the Sword of the Creator with all the force that he had trained into himself.

“Ashe, what are you doing?! You know that this is an impossible battle for you to win!” The professor’s panicked voice rose above the roar of battle.

The Sword of the Creator and Ashe’s axe slammed into each other, sending both sliding back from recoil. However, the professor didn’t give Ashe any time to breathe, rushing him with all of the experience of a mercenary. He unleashed the Bolganone at Ashe’s feet, creating an explosion of dirt, dust, and heat, temporarily blinding Ashe.

As Ashe coughed to get the dust out of his face, the professor used the opportunity to get in close quarters with him, wrapping the Sword of the Creator around Ashe’s axe and sending it flying away.

“Ashe, yield! You are defenseless and I for one would not like to spill any unnecessary blood.” The professor snapped the Sword of the Creator back to its blade form, pointing it threateningly at Ashe.

“I… I can’t. Lord Lonato… Hugo, Reese… they’re counting on me, professor! I can’t let them down!” Ashe yelled as the dust settled around the two of them. He reached for his bow on his back, quickly stringing an arrow and aiming at the professor.

“Ashe… In a different life, your fate would have been much different.” The seemingly emotionless professor’s voice choked up as he nodded in understanding.

The sound of hoofprints quickly reached Ashe’s ears and he glanced to the right, taking his eyes off the professor for a moment to see Gwendal the Gray Knight in his full, bloodied glory charging towards the unsuspecting professor. Ashe reached instinctually and without thinking, changing the trajectory of his arrow and released it.

The arrow struck Gwendal between the plates of his armor on his neck, causing the grizzled knight to gasp in shock and quickly lose control of his warhorse. He fell off the horse and landed in a pile on the hot ground, not moving.

“Ashe?” The professor looked at him, curiosity etched on his face. “Did you mean to do that?”

“Goddess, please forgive me,” Ashe murmured to himself as he ran to Gwendal’s body. “Gwendal, this is not how you were supposed to die! It was supposed to be me!” He struggled to turn the knight’s body over, staring at the arrow piercing through his neck.

Gwendal’s eyes were wide with shock, but his face shone with pride. “Ah, so I have found a place to die… Ashe… I thank you…” His body went slack as the life left his eyes, finally succumbing to the numerous wounds dealt to him throughout the battle.

“Ashe…” The professor reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you so opposed to joining us?”

“It was never for me. It was never supposed to be about me.” Ashe looked up at the professor, eyes red from the dust and tears. “I’ll join you if you’ll have me.” He slowly stood up and looked out across the Valley of Ailel, watching as the combined forces of the Leicester Alliance and the Knights of Seiros overwhelmed the forces of House Gaspard and House Rowe.

The journey back to Garreg Mach was bittersweet for Ashe. He was overjoyed to be reunited with his old Blue Lions and Golden Deer classmates, but the reminder that his siblings sat in Enbarr as prisoners weighed heavily on his mind.

Claude had graciously allowed Ashe to ride on a horse with the main body of the caravan but had assigned numerous guards to keep watch. The leader of the Leicester Alliance had apologized profusely but cited the need to prove Ashe’s loyalty to the cause before allowing him to roam freely. Ashe had waved his apologies off in understanding. After all, he had been actively fighting against both the remnants of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus and the splintered Leicester Alliance for the last four years.

However, Claude took pity on him and assigned many of their former classmates as guards on a rotating watch. Ingrid and Mercedes joined him for a portion of the journey, before they were swapped out with Lorenz and Marianne, and later Claude himself. When Ashe questioned the reasoning behind his assignment, Claude laughed and told him that the professor works in mysterious ways.

Byleth. The one person from Garreg Mach that Ashe wanted to speak with the most. Also known as the only person from Garreg Mach who had yet to visit him in his “captivity.” Ashe hadn’t even seen Byleth since he had so easily defeated Ashe and spared his life. Not a single flash of his mint green hair or the red and white of the Sword of the Creator always at his side.

“We’re getting close to the monastery,” Ingrid, one of the more common guards at his side, pointed to the horizon. “You’ll still have a guard there, but from what the professor has said, you won’t be under guard the whole time.”

Ashe strained his eyes to see the first few glimpses of the monastery in the distance.

“Wow… I never thought I’d be back here again.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “It feels like it’s been a lifetime since we were students.”

“That’s how I felt when we arrived at the monastery for the Millennium Festival,” Ingrid nodded in agreement. “I think your old room is still available, if you’d like to take it back.”

“After all these years? I’m surprised. I would have thought that someone else would take it by now.” Ashe glanced at his friend.

“The professor wouldn’t allow it. He held out hope that you would come back.” Ashe winced and grimaced. “Speaking of which,” Ingrid turned to look him in the eyes with her patented thousand-yard stare. “Why didn’t you come back?”

“I was afraid you were gonna ask that…” Ashe sighed and shook his head. “It’s a long story that I’d rather not talk about until I’ve gotten to talk with the professor.”

“Suit yourself. I’m just glad to have you back, Ashe. It’s good to have someone else around who understands the values of chivalry like you do.” With that, Ingrid kicked into her pegasus and took off into the skies towards Garreg Mach.

“Sure Ingrid… I’m glad one of us thinks so.”

“Your room is in the exact same place as it was five years ago. The monastery hasn’t changed one bit,” Claude clapped Ashe gently on the back. “With the exception of a few more pieces of construction, destroyed building, and general clutter.” He gestured at the general state of the monastery.

“Well, it’s certainly seen better days.” Ashe stepped up the stairs of the monastery, looking around at the crumbling yet still standing building supports and piles of lumber scattered throughout the grounds.

“Anyway, the only place that hasn’t been fixed up at all is the Cathedral. Everywhere else should be safe enough to wander in,” Claude shrugged and began walking away. “I’ve got to go meet with my advisors, so just hang around here or near your old room until someone comes to pick you up for a council meeting.”

Ashe slowly began to walk to the old student wing, passing the giant entrance hall doors and the ever cheerfully waving gatekeeper. His journey took him by the pond, where he spotted Flayn and Alois chatting as the two fished peacefully.

He walked past the greenhouse, now utilized almost exclusively for rapidly growing food for the combined forces. He felt something get caught in his throat as he remembered the many afternoons that he spent tending to the blooming flowers with Dedue and the professor. Shaking his head, he turned away from the memories that threatened to overwhelm him and continued onwards to his room.

Ashe stood in front of the solid wooden door and gently turned the knob. The door opened surprisingly easily, clearly well taken care of, despite its occupant’s absence. Even the room inside looked to be recently dusted and cleaned as he stepped inside. Ashe didn’t have much in his room during his school days, especially after Lonato’s death, but his few possessions that he left were neatly organized on the desk.

“Cyril was insistent on continuing his cleaning duties, saying that everything needed to be spotless in case we found the Archbishop.”

Ashe chuckled lightly before turning around to see the professor standing in the doorway, holding a tea set in his hands. Now that he wasn’t in the heat of battle, Ashe could clearly see that his professor had seemingly not aged in the last five years.

“That sounds like something that Cyril would say.”

“Would you like some tea? I have mint.”

“I would love some tea.”

The professor placed the tea set on the desk and gestured for Ashe to take a seat on the bed. He stirred the pot gently with a spoon and poured a cup for both he and Ashe. “I’m sure you have many questions for me. I only hope that you will answer some of the questions that I have for you.” He sighed gently and sat.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, sipping on the still too hot tea. Ashe could feel the urge to fidget rising in him but willed himself to remain still. The professor’s eyes bored into him with the same intensity that he had mustered five years ago during their first teatime five years ago and Ashe could feel his willpower slipping.

“Why?”

The professor let the question float in the air as he took another sip. For the first time, Ashe could see the hurt and fear that underneath the surface of the professor’s eyes. He felt tears begin to prick at his own eyes as he forced himself to steady his breathing.

“Why didn’t you come back?”

There it was. The barely contained emotion in the professor’s voice threatened to bubble over and overwhelm both of them. Ashe placed his teacup on the desk and refused to meet the professor’s eyes, choosing instead to stare at the ground.

“Ingrid missed your love of books. Marianne missed your gentleness. I even heard Cyril muttering about missing your company as he did his chores.” The professor reached out and placed a hand on Ashe’s knee. “And… I missed you.” His voice dropped to a whisper and Ashe jerked his head to stare at the professor, eyes wide.

“I missed the way that you treated everyone around you with kindness. I missed the way that you refused to let me cook anything when we had kitchen duty together. I missed watching you tend to the gardens. Why? Why did you not come back?” The professor was visibly shaking, eyes not quite watering, waiting for an answer.

“Professor… I… The Empire has Hugo and Reese.” Ashe choked out, feeling tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

“Your siblings?”

“Yes, my siblings, the only other family left for me.” He sniffled. “I couldn’t just leave them. Hubert… He would have killed them. He will kill them, because I deserted and left the Imperial Army!” Ashe put his head in his hands and let the tears flow down his cheeks. “I only fought to protect them, and in the end, I couldn’t do that.”

“Ashe, look at me, please,” The professor grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face, revealing the tears quickly falling down his cheeks.

“I couldn’t stop Hubert from taking them. No matter how hard I fought, no matter the sacrifices I made, he wouldn’t let me see them or let me bring them home.” Ashe tried to wipe his eyes. “Even now, they’re probably sitting in Enbarr in the prisoner cells because we lost the battle at the Valley of Ailel.”

“We’ll get them back.”

“How? Professor, they’re in Enbarr. That place is almost impenetrable right now.”

“We’ll get them back somehow. Between Claude’s schemes and the power of the Goddess invested in me, we’ll get them back.” The professor gently brushed a piece of Ashe’s hair out of his eyes as he slowly approached him. “And until we do, I’ll be your family.”

“Professor… I don’t know what to say. It seems like such a long shot.” Ashe murmured, holding onto the professor’s other hand.

“Byleth.”

“What?”

“Please call me Byleth. I stopped being your professor a long time ago.”

“O-Oh, if you’re sure… Byleth.” Ashe hesitantly looked up to see the slightest of smiles on Byleth’s face. Byleth reached out his arms, and Ashe wrapped himself around Byleth and leaned into the hug.

“I missed you.”

“I know.”


End file.
